Antisocial Personality Essay, Research Paper
The Antisocial Personality is (APD) is a serious disorder that affects many
males and cause a great threat to families, friends, and even complete
strangers. Most personality disorders may cause an inconvenience to a
person▓s family and friends, but usually harm themselves more than others.
Antisocial Personality Disorder contrasts from other personality disorders
because the defining trait is a predatory attitude toward other people (Smith,
1999). ⌠They have a chronic indifference to and violation of the rights of
one▓s fellow human beings.■ (Alterman; Cacciola; McDermott;
Mulholland; Newman; & Rutherford, 2000). A common tendency of those with APD
is criminal actions. These actions can range from stealing of everyday items to
rate to murder. It is obvious that APD is a serious disorder with serious
consequences. Criminologists need to have an understanding of APD as evidenced
in the male offender. Antisocial Personality Disorder affects less than one
percent of females and about three percent of males and usually occurs before
age 15 (Smith, 1999). Most of these men are involved in some sort of criminal
behavior. One heartwrenching characteristic of men with this disorder is that
they show no remorse for their victims or anyone involved. Interpersonally,
those with APD are gradoise, arrogant, callous, superficial, and manipulative (Alterman
et al. 2000). Affectively, those with APD are short-tempered, unable to form
strong emotional bonds with others, lacking empathy, guilt, or remorse (Smith
1999). Behaviorally, those with APD are irresponsive, impulsive, and prone to
violate social and legal norms and expectations (Smith 1999). DSM III gives a
list of criteria for the diagnosis of APD. These five points are as follows: 1.
⌠A history of illegal or socially disapproved activity beginning before
age 15 and continuing into adulthood.■ 2. ⌠Failure to show constancy
and responsibility in work, sexual relationships, parenthood, or financial
obligations.■ 3. ⌠Irritability and aggressiveness■ 4.
⌠Reckless and impulsive behavior■ 5. ⌠Disregard for the
truth■ (Smith, 1999) Males with this disorder are also known to lack
certain responsibilities and obligations which lead them to do things such as
walk out on jobs, wives, children, and creditors (Fukuhara; Kato; & Yoshino,
2000). The sad truth about this disorder is that ⌠by puberty these men
have already begun a career of antisocial behavior in the form of truancy,
delinquency, theft, vandalism, lying, drug abuse, casual sex, running away from
home, chronic misbehavior in school. As adults they lead to prostitution,
pimping, drug selling, or other crimes.■ (Alterman et al. 2000). Although
many men may show traits of APD, they have to show specific characteristics in
order to be diagnosed with the disorder. These specific characteristics include,
⌠a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of
others occurring since age 15, must be at least 18 years old, and evidence of
conduct disorder with onset before age15.■ (Smith, 1999). Criminologists
must be sure to look at these traits when dealing with men with antisocial
personality, and most certainly before letting them back out in the world
because of their tendency to have no regret and inability to learn from past
experiences. One form of Antisocial Personality Disorder is the common
sociopath. The sociopathic personality is the unsocialized personality. It
affects mostly young men, but some young women. These people are never
adequately socialized during childhood and adolescence (Damasio, 2000). People
with this form of disorder have reasonably normal temperaments but are known to
be aggressive or fearless. They also ⌠posses impulse peculiarities or
habit patterns that are traceable to deviant learning.■ (Damasio, 2000).
They are stimulus seekers and pose the greatest problem for parents as children
(Damasio, 2000). This disorder is enhanced somewhat from incompetent or
indifferent parents. Some other common characteristics of the common sociopath,
being the largest genus of antisocial personalities, are a weak and unelaborated
conscience, a lack of shame for normal things, a weak future perspective, a
disinterest in long term goals, and a pride in rule breaking (Smith, 1999).
Along with the category of sociopaths, there are several forms of sociopaths.
These forms consist of the Alienated Sociopath, the Aggressive Sociopath, and
the Dyssocial Sociopath. The Alienated Sociopath has an undeveloped ability to
love or to affiliate with others (Damasio, 2000). The Aggressive Sociopath is
usually a muscular and aggressive male who enjoys hurting, frightening, and
tyrannizing others. This type of sociopath get a feeling of power and
importance. Many men with this type of Sociopathic Personality tend to be the
rapists and muggers in the world. They show strong gratification from dominance
and control over victims (Smith, 1999). The Dyssocial Sociopath tends to be
normal both psychologically and in their temperament. This group usually has an
allegiance and identification with a subculture. Some examples would be an
offspring of the Mafia, gypsies, ghetto guerrilla, or members of a political
underground movement or revolutionary terrorist (Damasio, 2000). One other form
of
show traits of ⌠guiltlessness, superficial charm, egocentricity,
incapacity for love, an absence of shame or remorse, a lack of psychological
insight, bouts of insecurity, emotional shallowness, and an inability to learn
from past experience.■ (Alterman et al. 2000). A psychopath can be passive
or aggressive. The passive types tend to be parasitic or exploitative of others.
They have frequent problems with the law but usually manage to get out of
serious trouble and punishment. The aggressive type tend to be the more
dangerous type that commit major crimes. They are the sexually sadistic, who
have a need for constant stimulation. It appears that sexual arousal is the
motivating factor in their crimes. (Smith, 1999) All of these personalities
within the Antisocial Disorder tend to show criminal characteristics. Although
not all criminals are Antisocial, a majority of Antisocial Personalities are
criminals. Unlike most ⌠normal■ criminals, antisocial personalities
rarely engage in planning. Instead, they tend to operate in an aimless,
thrill-seeking fashion, traveling from town to town with no goal in mind (Alterman
et al. 2000). Also, unlike most other criminals, psychopaths show no loyalty to
groups, codes, or principles (Fukuhara et al. 2000). Psychopaths seem to
naturally slip into the role of criminals. Their readiness to take advantage of
any situation that arises, combined with their lack of the conscience, creates a
good formula for crime (Smith, 1999). About 20 percent of male and female
inmates are psychopaths. Psychopaths are also responsible for more than 50
percent of the serious crimes committed. Forty-four percent of the offenders who
killed law enforcement officers on duty were psychopaths (Smith, 1999). Both
male and female psychopaths are much more likely to be violent and aggressive
then are other individuals. In fact, Psychopaths commit more than twice as many
violent and aggressive acts, both in and out of prison, as do other criminals
(Smith, 1999). Sex violence is also a main focus for many antisocial
personalities. Rape is the most prominent example of the callous, selfish use of
violence by psychopaths. Possibly one-half of the repeat or serial rapists are
psychopaths (Damasio, 2000). These rapists are manipulative, egocentric,
untruthful, lack a conscience, and lack a capacity for love (Smith, 1999). They
also get sexual excitement by inflicting psychological pressure on his victims.
Sexual violence is a very serious and very common in the antisocial
personalities because of the gratification that results. Treatment of an
individual with APD could be very difficult because one cannot promise how often
an antisocial person might lie, con, cheat, steal, or harass because he sees
more advantage in doing so. Cognitive therapy can have a positive impact on the
life course of an antisocial person. Improvements in prosocial behavior have
obvious benefits for the stability of the patient and the well-being of his
significant other, and society (Alterman et al. 2000). However, most antisocial
personalities do not actively seek therapy. For those patients who do seek
therapy a sign of progress would be seen in the development of the dysphoric
effect, or depression (Smith, 1999). This is uncomfortable for the patient so
the therapist should become supportive and empathetic, helping the patient to
understand that the discomfort is a sign of progress. Although there are some
medications that can be helpful for specific symptoms, medications have not been
proven to be helpful in the treatment of APD. (Smith,1999). There are very few
programs that meet the requirements needed for successful treatment of APD.
Those that do exist are expensive, take years to complete, and tend to have
fairly good results. The Antisocial Personality Disorder is a disorder with
several variations and types, but with the same harmful effects. People, mostly
men, with this disorder almost always tend to act in criminal ways, beginning
early in life (age 15) all the way through adulthood and even sometimes into the
senior years. Criminologists need to be well aware of what they are dealing with
when a criminal with APD enters the scene. Since Antisocial personalities are
good liars, con artists, charmers, and tricksters, they could easily con their
way out of court and be turned loose on the streets yet again. They have no
sympathy for their victims and show no remorse for their actions, so there is no
stopping them from committing crimes time and time again. To keep this world
safe from rapists, murderers, robbers, and other crimes consistently occurring,
criminologists must be aware of the capabilities of those with APD and keep them
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Fukuhara, T., Kato, M., & Yoshino, A. (2000) Premorbid risk factors for
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Experimental Research, 24, 35-38. Smith, R.J. (1999). Psychopathic behavior and
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